Bleaching Vintage Akoyas?

[A Breaker]

I saw someone post a bleaching akoyas photo. Just wondering if it would be possible to do that with very yellowed vintage pearls? I know they polish with walnut shells after. I happen to have walnut polishing shells & a polisher. Would bleaching work? What is the strength of the peroxide? Is it the same idea as bleaching your hair?

 

[ennui]

So ... walnut shells will be abrasive. You will be removing nacre, and Akoya pearl nacre tends to be relatively thin. In the original polishing, walnut shell bath is used to remove oyster residue, but you're way past that.
I'm wondering ... why would you want to do this? I think vintage Akoya are lovely.

 

[A Breaker]

I normally enjoy vintage akoyas, but I have a strand that are so "dirty yellow" that I might enjoy them if they were less yellow or brown.